The Gran Via black spot at Selva de Mar is Barcelona’s most dangerous intersection. According to Barcelona City Council data, this Sant Martí junction recorded 18 injury accidents in 2025. Consequently, it has the highest accident rate for any single location in the city.
For residents and local business owners, these statistics confirm a daily reality. They witness a chaotic traffic knot where lane confusion frequently leads to collisions.
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Home » Barcelona’s Most Dangerous Intersection: Gran Via Black Spot
The Anatomy of a Crash at the Gran Via Black Spot
The danger stems from a specific layout on the upper side of the avenue. Drivers approaching the junction face three lanes. The far-left lane forces a turn, while the middle lane offers a choice: turn left onto Selva de Mar or continue straight along the Gran Via.
Locals describe a repeating pattern. Drivers in the mandatory turn lane realise too late that they wish to continue straight. Instead of turning, they accelerate to cut across, colliding with vehicles lawfully merging from the right.
“You see it many times a day,” says Eloy Ovejas, a resident of the area. “A smart guy makes a mistake, accelerates and goes straight, when the one on his right could turn and hit him.”
Juan Pascual, who lives directly on the corner, estimates he hears a crash once a week. “It’s very poorly signposted,” he argues. “When one realises at the end that they must turn, they take the chance without meaning to… The hits that motorcycles take are outrageous.”
A ‘Black Spot’ for the Neighbourhood
While the City Council’s official count for 2025 stands at 18 accidents with injuries, locals suggest the true number of collisions is far higher. Ricardo López, a local kiosk owner with a panoramic view of the crossing, believes he has witnessed between 30 and 40 impacts in the last year alone.
“I’ve seen just as many cars as motorcycles,” López says. “The most spectacular was a car that ended up flipping over. Fortunately, the driver managed to get out okay.”
The physical scars of these incidents are visible across the intersection. Protective railings are bent or dislodged, and Bicing stations have been struck. “Passing that traffic light is risking your life because a mess forms there,” Ovejas warns. He fears that a vehicle might one day mount the pavement while families wait to cross.
Official Response and Statistics
The City Council has acknowledged the high accident rate at this Gran Via black spot. The site topped a list of 21 other city sections that saw more than a dozen injury-causing accidents. However, officials noted that the 18 accidents recorded at the junction were not classified as serious. They contextualised the figure against wider city data: Barcelona recorded 6,835 traffic accidents in 2025, resulting in 11 fatalities and 246 serious injuries.
Despite the area being flagged as a black spot, no concrete engineering measures have yet been announced to mitigate the risk. The Amics de la Gran Via Association has proposed installing a radar or a permanent police presence to enforce lane discipline.
For the neighbours, however, the current situation feels like a ticking clock. “Right now they are car accidents without deaths,” says Ovejas. “But what I fear most is that there will be personal injuries, children included. We have to try to solve it.”
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